NEW YORK, July 9 (Reuters) - Energy Impact Partners, an

energy transition-focused investment firm, has tapped a senior

investment banker to help advise its portfolio companies on

financing their operations.

EIP has hired Jeff McDermott, who was previously global

co-head of investment banking at Nomura Securities

International, as its head of strategic finance, the firm told

Reuters on Tuesday.

McDermott is the founder of Greentech Capital Advisors, a

clean energy-focused boutique investment bank which was acquired

by the Japanese lender in 2020. McDermott exited from Nomura in

June last year.

New York-based EIP deploys its own capital, but also has

ties with large corporations, including utility firms such as

Southern Co ( SO ) and PPL Corp ( PPL ), and industrial players

including General Electric ( GE ). EIP has leveraged those

relationships to promote partnerships with its portfolio firms

on energy transition technologies and projects.

"We are really good at scaling companies and helping bring

innovators and incumbents together, but scaling also requires a

lot of capital and being smart on financing," said Hans Kobler,

founder of EIP, in an interview.

After years of low interest rates helped flood those

pursuing decarbonization and energy transition goals with cheap

capital, the higher rate environment has made it more

challenging for those companies to secure necessary financing to

keep developing their climate solutions.

Founded in 2015, EIP has more than $4 billion of assets

under management and has invested in more than 110 energy

transition-focused companies, according to its website.

"A lot more capital needs to be organized and deployed to

achieve the energy transition, and large non-financial strategic

investors can make smart investments to help companies scale to

an even greater extent," said McDermott, noting the potential of

the kinds of partnerships that EIP promotes.